My husband and I joke around that the epitaph on my grave will read, 'She accessorized well'. He teases me about how my shoes match my earrings, that match my purse, that match my...oh, you get it. He gets quasi-irritated when we go out and someone says, 'Oh, I love your shoes', or 'where did you get those earrings?' I was thinking about this the other day, why do I try so hard? Because I think sometimes that is how people look at me. My first bad memory of grade school was a bunch of boys saying, 'Gail the whale that lives in a pail'. Not that bad I guess, but by the time I was ten I had to shop in what was then politely (?) called the 'husky' section for clothes. And if I could by chance find anything that fit it was pretty hideous. But worse was when my mom, bless her heart, who tried to sew, would make me clothes. I remember a pair of mustard colored pants that were too short and not the same width on each leg. Or the pair of pink plaid pants that had one leg shorter than the other. I was a sitting duck for mean comments. So to say that I had low self esteem was an understatement. I know I still deal with all of those things today.
So, I learned to take better care of myself, to dress nicely and to accessorize well. Now I just really have fun playing 'dress up'. Accessories can make a drab outfit look bright and fun. They can change the look from day to evening. They can draw your attention away from flaws. (Just ask Stacy and Clinton from 'What not to Wear'!) So I guess sometimes I go overboard, but I know it all stems back to some dark memories and hurts.
Now I am working on a new manner of accessorizing. Because accessorizing isn't just an afterthought for me, but sets the tone for the day. The accessories that I am wearing now are love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (self-control).
God gave me, as a gift, the greatest 'outfit' I could ever ask for...the uniform of a child of God. The attire colored by the blood of Jesus. The ensemble of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And so dressed in that garb, I have the tools of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galations 5:22-23) to be able to walk in victory. I know the areas where I struggle the most, and I am so grateful that through the power of the Holy Spirit working in me I can overcome my own selfish thoughts and desires and live in a manner that brings glory to the Lord.
Because I was on my own so much when I was younger, it is not a hard thing for me to isolate myself. To be stingy with my love and affection. The Lord is working on me regarding that. I have a tattoo on my wrist that says 'love'. It is a reminder to me of not only how powerful His love for me is, but how powerful a tool, a blessing and a gift it is when I give it freely to others. Which is hard for me, in and of myself. But through His Spirit, it is getting easier.
Faith is a pretty easy accessory for me to wear. I have seen the goodness of God so many times. When He healed my marriage. When He healed me of fibromyalgia. When He has come through time after time in financial hardships. When He has answered seemingly silly prayers that meant so much to me. He is a faithful God and I wear that one comfortably.
Patience...well I am sure we all struggle with that one a bit, right? For me now, the big test is getting in to work each morning. Never had to deal with all the traffic driving into Prescott. So I pray and turn up my tunes and try to spend that time not thinking about the idiot (didn't mean that, Lord), in front of me going 35 through the Dells, but about how good God is and what does He have planned for my day.
So, I guess if my epitaph does say, 'She accessorized well', I will gladly accept that. I hope that all I am, and all I show to the world, takes who I am and shows the light of God in me. That as I go about my life, it shows that I went from darkness into the light. And that those accessories of the fruit of the Spirit take the attention away from my flaws and points to the One who is Perfect and lovely and good.
So, I learned to take better care of myself, to dress nicely and to accessorize well. Now I just really have fun playing 'dress up'. Accessories can make a drab outfit look bright and fun. They can change the look from day to evening. They can draw your attention away from flaws. (Just ask Stacy and Clinton from 'What not to Wear'!) So I guess sometimes I go overboard, but I know it all stems back to some dark memories and hurts.
Now I am working on a new manner of accessorizing. Because accessorizing isn't just an afterthought for me, but sets the tone for the day. The accessories that I am wearing now are love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (self-control).
God gave me, as a gift, the greatest 'outfit' I could ever ask for...the uniform of a child of God. The attire colored by the blood of Jesus. The ensemble of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And so dressed in that garb, I have the tools of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galations 5:22-23) to be able to walk in victory. I know the areas where I struggle the most, and I am so grateful that through the power of the Holy Spirit working in me I can overcome my own selfish thoughts and desires and live in a manner that brings glory to the Lord.
Because I was on my own so much when I was younger, it is not a hard thing for me to isolate myself. To be stingy with my love and affection. The Lord is working on me regarding that. I have a tattoo on my wrist that says 'love'. It is a reminder to me of not only how powerful His love for me is, but how powerful a tool, a blessing and a gift it is when I give it freely to others. Which is hard for me, in and of myself. But through His Spirit, it is getting easier.
Faith is a pretty easy accessory for me to wear. I have seen the goodness of God so many times. When He healed my marriage. When He healed me of fibromyalgia. When He has come through time after time in financial hardships. When He has answered seemingly silly prayers that meant so much to me. He is a faithful God and I wear that one comfortably.
Patience...well I am sure we all struggle with that one a bit, right? For me now, the big test is getting in to work each morning. Never had to deal with all the traffic driving into Prescott. So I pray and turn up my tunes and try to spend that time not thinking about the idiot (didn't mean that, Lord), in front of me going 35 through the Dells, but about how good God is and what does He have planned for my day.
So, I guess if my epitaph does say, 'She accessorized well', I will gladly accept that. I hope that all I am, and all I show to the world, takes who I am and shows the light of God in me. That as I go about my life, it shows that I went from darkness into the light. And that those accessories of the fruit of the Spirit take the attention away from my flaws and points to the One who is Perfect and lovely and good.
